1988 Volume 79 Issue 10 Pages 1712-1717
A 71-year-old male was seen at our clinic because of hypertension of 3 years duration. Serum laboratory study on the initial examination revealed slight elevation of serum GOT and GPT levels. The CT-scan performed for possible hepatobiliary disorder revealed a left adrenal mass mesuring 24×11mm in size.
Endocrinological study showed an elevation of plasma corticosterone value, which was suppressed by 3 mg of dexamethazone. There was no definite accumulation of the radioisotope on adrenal scintigraphy using I131-adosterol.
After left adrenalectomy, the plasma corticosterone level returned to normal, although blood pressure remained elevated. Because of this fact, the tumor was regarded producing corticosterone.
Histologically, the adrenal tumor was an adenoma resembling an aldosterone-producing tumor. The irreversibility of hypertension was assumed due to arteriolosclerois found in the renal biopsy specimen.
